Mold for freezing liquids or semiliquids



lIVIalrch 3, 1936. R. M. sToRz-:R

MOLD FOR FREEZING LIQUIDS OR SEMILIQUIDS Filed April 2e, 1932 1N VENTOR JATORNEYS Patented Mar. 3,* 1936 MOLD Fortslannve nourris on Mlm Urns Richard M. Storer, Denver, Colo. Application Api-ii 26,- 1932, semi No. 607,539

y12 claims. (en. ca -i085)` This invention relates to improvements in molds for freezing liquids or semi-liquids, of the type used in electric refrigeration, its principal object being to provide a mold of simple construction which will facilitate the removal of frozen substances from the parts included in the mold.

The present invention relates more particularly to molds of the general character disclosed in my United States Patent Nos. '1,824,308 and 1,824,309, issued on the 22nd day of September, 1931, and it is a further object-of the invention to provide certain variations 'of constructionwith reference to the disclosure of said patents, which involve a different method of operation in theuse of the molds.

In the structure shown in the patents, a moldmember having a plurality of units of truncated pyramid form was employed in association with a. pan or tray in which the mold was placed in an inverted position. The units were closed at their ends of smallest area, which were uppermost during the freezing process, and the moldmember was extricated from the frozen substances by expansion of the said substances while being frozen. Subsequently,- the blocks of frozen parts together before being placed in the freezingcompartment of the refrigerator.

While the process and the means for carrying itA into effect, as disclosed in the patents, are practical and effective, variations hereinafter to be described are equally eiiicient although they involve a somewhat different mode of operation.

Novel lsteps and methods disclosed but not claimed in this application have been described and claimed in my copending application, Serial No. 25,814, led June I0, 1935, for Method of forming ice cubes.

The differences 'reside mainly in that the mold is filled with a substance to be frozen after it has `been placed in the tray; in that the mold may be removed from the frozen blocks by a progressive separative action; and in -that the'blocks may be .separated from the bottom of the tray without the use of implements or a water immersion or other similar methods heretofore employed. I attain these results by providing a mold in the form of an open grid, of elastic material, the dividing walls of which are wedge-shaped to provide com- In order partments of truncated pyramidal form which are open at both ends.

The grid ts in a tray made of metal or other suitable material, having a rigid wall and a normally downwardly bulging slightly resilient bot- 5 tom, which after the grid has been removed from the frozen blocks may be sprung upwardly and thereby loosen the blocks for their separate removal.

An embodiment of the variations hereinbefore .10 set forth, has been shown in the accompanying drawing, inthe several views of which like parts are similarly designated, and in which l vFigure l represents a partially broken planview of the device with the parts thereof in their 15 relative operative positions, v

Figure 2, a partially sectional side-elevation of the same,

Figure 3, a transverse section taken on the line 3--3 of Figure l, 20

Figure 4, a similar section of the gridof the device, separate from the tray of the same, and

Figure 5, a similar view of the tray. with the frozen blocks in place, after the grid has been removed. y l l 25 Referringrfurther tothe drawing,I the reference character 5 designates the pan made of metal or other suitable material having an out- Wardly sloping rigid wall 6, a downwardly curving slightly resilient bottom 1, and a handle s to 39 facilitate its manipulation.

The grid 9 which fits inside the pan is made of rubber of other elastic material, so that it may bend when pulled away. from the tray. The grid is divided into'a series of freezing compartments I0 of truncated pyramid form by intersecting walls I2 of wedge-shaped section, and ithas at diagonally opposite ends outwardly projecting tabs I3 to facilitate its manual removal from the pan.

In order to hold the frozen bodies to the Abottom of the tray while the grid is being removed, the inner surface of the bottom has been roughened by corrugations I4 corresponding in rela- 4- tive positions with the compartments of the grid. The freezing compartments of the grid are open at both ends so that they may be filled with thev substance to be frozen with the grid in place in the pan, as shown in Figures 1 to 3 of the draw- '50 ing. The filled device is subjected to a freezing temperature by placing it, in the frost unit of a mechanical or electrical refrigerator. and after the contents of the compartments of the grid are frozen, .the latter is easily removed from the frozen 55 bodies by pulling it upwardly by means` of one of 'its tabs.

The elasticity of the grid and the wedge-shape of its walls causes it to easily separate from the lseries of blocks of frozen matter in a gradual progressive movement from one end to the other.

The bodies of frozen matter, shown at l5 in Figure 5, remain in place on the bottom of the pan or tray, partially by their natural adherence thereto and partially by the locking action of the corrugations I4, and when it is desired to remove one or more of the bodies from the pan, the resilient bottom 'I of the latter is sprung upwardly by hand-pressure, thereby loosening the bodies from the pan and from each other, so as to permit of their individual removal. This may be easily accomplished by placing the pan on a level-surface and then pushing downwardly on the rigid' wall of the same. When the pressure is released the bottom will spring naturally to its original bulging form.

It will be understood that the mold as shown and described may be used for freezing desserts of semi-liquid character, as well as water or other resilient downwardly bulging bottom, and a bendable grid -adapted to be separated from icev cubes in the tray, and composed of intersecting wall members-dividing the grid into a series of openended compartments, the tray bottom being interiorly roughened beneath said compartments.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a tray having rigid sides, a bendable grid removably iitted therein and composed of intersecting wedge-shaped wall-members, the outer walls of the grid forming a rim adjoining the sides of the tray, and lifting tabs at upper diagonal corners of the rim. I

3. A device of the character described, comprising a tray having sloping sides, a bendable grid removably tted therein and composed of intersecting wedge-shaped wall-members, the outer walls of the grid forming arim adjoining the sides of the tray. and lifting tabs at upper diagonal corners of the rim.

4. A device of the character' described, comprising a `tray having sloping' sides, a bendable grid removably iitted therein and composed of intersecting wall-members, the outer walls of the grid forming a rim adjoining the sides of the tray, and lifting tabs at upper diagonal corners of the rim.

5. In a' device of the character described, a tray and a removable grid composed of intersect- ,ing wall-members dividing the tray into compartments, the tray having a resilient downwardly buiging bottom common to all the compartments and having corrugations registering with the compartments for the retention of the ice cubes during removal of the grid.

6. In a device of the character described, a tray and a removable grid composed of intersecting Wall-members dividing the tray into compartments, the tray having a resilient downwardly bulging bottom common to all compartments, lifting tabs at upper diagonal corners of the grid to assist in its removal, and the bottom of the tray having corrugations registering with the compartments for the retention during removal of the grid, of material frozen in the compartments.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a tray having rigid sloping sides, a iiexible grid having side-Walls removably fitted against the sides of the tray and intersecting wall-members dividing the tray into compartments, the tray having a resilient downwardly bulging bottom common to all compartments, and means for flexing the grid while in place relative to the tray with frozen matter inside the compartments to permit its lremoval from the tray prior to removal of the frozen matter from the tray by iiexure of the bottom. 1

8.A device of the character described, comprising a heat-conducting tray, and a flexible grid removably iitted therein and dividing the tray into compartments, the tray having on its bottom surface means for holding matter frozen in the compartments in place, during removal of the grid by exure.

9. A device of the character described, comprising a heat-conducting tray having a bulging bottom, a flexible grid removably tted therein and dividing the tray into compartments, and means associated with the bulging bottom for holding matter frozen inY said compartments in place, during removal of the grid by iiexure.

10. A device of the character described, comprising a tray having rigid sides, and a bendable grid removably iittedtherein and composed of intersecting wedge-shaped wall-members, the outer walls of the grid forming a rim adjoining the sides of the tray.

11.` A device Aof the character described, comprising a tray having sloping sides, and a bend- .able grid removably fitted therein and composed of intersecting wedge-shaped wall-members, the outer walls of the grid forming a rim adjoining the sides of the tray.

12. A device of thecharacter described, comprising va tray having sloping sides, a bendable grid removably iitted therein and composed of intersecting wedge-shaped wall-members, the

so l

outer walls of the grid forming a rim adjoining ,l

the sides of the tray, and tab-means of the grid for exing the grid while in place relative to the tray with frozen matter between the Wall-members, to permit its removal from the tray prior I to the removal of the frozen matter from the tray.

RICHARD M. STORER. 

